~Feel free to discuss any topic related to the Mitchell Camera. Both 35 mm and 16 mm models are welcomed here. Also consider posting topics of other major motion picture cameras that you feel are important to the development of the Mitchell Camera.

Update: You may have noticed that we have returned to just one category as opposed to dividing the forum into 7 different areas. Apparently, it was an unpopular change and returning to the old format will allow posters to find their submissions more easily.~

Fascinating, the history of film equipment. The fact that stuff still turns up after 70 or 80 years, and in reasonable condition. Made 'em tough in those days. Although not a Mitchell, I bought recently a MOY tripod that was owned previously by UK Technicolor. It was badged too, even better. I restored the colour later. Bought off jolly eBay, price around $250.

Oh yes, I have seen photos with Technicolor cameras on these blue painted Mitchell legs. Although I don't think it is common to have big Moy or Worrall heads on them, but I have seen that too. I've been told, but not seen in person, That there are two sizes of Mitchell friction heads and the Technicolor cameras would be on the larger heads.

So is Ed "Mediaed" still on the board? I just PM him about his BNCR104. My question is, is he certain this is a Mitchell Conversion, rather than one of the cameras they made as a BNCR? I know they made just over 130 cameras as reflexed and that they converted some of their BNCs to reflex. I'm not certain how to tell the difference. I also know other companies converted BNCs to reflex. Anyone have any info on conversions? I know that there are Pelicle conversions (a silvered piece of glass that reflexes some of the light to the viewfinder) which causes a slight loss of light. There is also the spinning mirror and I believe another type?

I actually am asking this about Ed's camera as I ran across a photo of BNC 104 and wanted to share the info, if it really is his camera...although I don't have the photo! But I do have some info about the photo, and with some work he may figure it out!

"..this is probably a lot more information than asked for, but just in case I have included quite a bit for those that may appreciate it.

Camera Reports; I have not worked in the industry so my information my be lacking, but this is what I have learned: A camera report is for an individual camera for each day it was used on a production. Basically it documents the production info, scene numbers filmed, amount of footage exposed, and other information (see photo). These records were kept by the studio for various amounts of time. Most have since been dumped, some are in a few film related libraries. They are the single best piece of evidence that one can have to show the history of a camera. In the case of the camera report in the photo, it is for the movie "Among the Dead", which was the working title for Vertigo, 1958, directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

This particular camera report documents the information for MVV-7, how they typically referred to the Mitchell VistaVision camera, which is an abbreviation of the type of camera and serial number. The beauty of this particular report is it shows Hitchcock as the director (as opposed to a second unit director). For those that don't know what I am referring to; a "First Unit" is the crew that films scenes involving principal actors. A "Second Unit", which usually has it's own director, is for all other scenes. For instance, a first unit would film a close up of an actor skiing, where you actually see their face. A second unit would film a wide shot of a double skiing down a hill, where you can't see details of the face. Generally speaking in the past (before Panavision took over supplying the cameras for most studios) the first unit would use the same camera through-out the production. For a collector it is generally more desirable to obtain the camera that filmed the actors & primary director, if one has a choice that is. But again, it is fairly unique to identify specific productions, at least with proof.

A very special bonus came with this particular camera report, I believe it is called the "script notes" . I have only seen this with this particular production. This is very fortunate as it documents the specific scene the camera filmed! Otherwise you just don't know what the camera did, specifically, which makes this a real plus. The script notes are matched by the date and actually was paper clipped or stapled to the camera report. What I did not realize at first is that the notes document ALL scenes filmed that day by ALL cameras. I eventually realized that you can match it up by Scene number/Slate number, referred to differently in each document. In the camera report they call it a Scene number and in the script notes it is referred to as the Slates number.

In this case, camera MVV-7 filmed scene 138X. In the script notes you can see that in scene 138X they used a 35mm lens, it was an exterior shot at Lincoln Park Art Gallery. It further shows that it was a low shot where "Scottie" (Jimmy Stewart) enters the scene from camera Left and walks into the gallery. You can match this up to the movie and know exactly which camera filmed it! This particular camera was one of several location cameras used in San Francisco, Big Basin and San Juan Batista. It was used with the direction Hitchcock himself as well as the second unit director.

I maintain a list of all cameras I run across through the various records searches and photograph searches I do. This is the information I have, on occasion, shared with a couple museums and several collectors. There is no single source for all this info and the library or institution that holds the information may not know specially what they have. As example, the Museum of Moving Image in New York, has a Mitchell VistaVision. If I recall correctly it is MVV-4. I was able to tell them it was used by Cecil B. Demille on location in Egypt filming The Ten Commandments. It was one of four location cameras used on location.

So if you have a Mitchell VistaVision I may have some info on it. I also have some info for some BNCs as well as Technicolor and Technirama. Yes it is spotty but one never knows unless one checks. I have been lucky with Paramount records. I checked by found nothing on BNCR 198 (posting above). That is a great camera and to have all those lenses with it!

I have met a lot of great and interesting people in this hobby, a security guard, a Director of Photography, a person in the special effects industry that worked on the Star Wars (1977), as well as one of the biggest collectors in the field, Martin Hill.

So if anyone finds photos with camera numbers in them, Post Them! Please! Although I may already have it, but I still do find new ones. If you have any questions or want some research guidance, ask me!

Mark"

Thank you Mark,this is my happiest thing today, I found a big secret, my collection of MVV-7 is actually used by Hitchcock director, and I would like to know more information about them, thank you very much .My Email: amazingkimi@163.comBest,Kimi

Great to see these lenses have survived! Could you show the mount these use with the measurement? Must be somewhat unique size to accommodate the format which I'm sure most of us have never seen. Thanks. ED.